Wednesday, 23 August 2017

A MBARE couple which created a Facebook Page where the wife
used a fake name to lure men, was yesterday each sentenced to an effective one
year in prison after tricking an unsuspecting suitor into paying $4 000 lobola.
Brian Nkatazo Mathe (30) connived with his wife Stephanie Pullen (22) to play
brother and sister before tricking a Kuwadzana, Harare, man into paying lobola.

Harare magistrate Ms Victoria Mashamba sentenced the couple
to two-and-a-half years in jail each before suspending a year for five years on
condition of good behaviour.

Six months of both sentences were suspended on condition
that they restitute the complainant, Nyakanyaka Msipani, $4 029 on or before
September 30.

They will both serve
an effective year in prison. In passing the sentence, Ms Mashamba said it was
unheard of that a man marries off his wife.

“You have looked down upon the marriage institution. They
caused emotional and psychological stress to the complainant who believed that
he was getting married,” said Ms Mashamba.

“A sharp and short custodial sentence will meet justice in
this case and serve as a reminder to this couple that crime does not pay.”

In mitigation, the two said they have crèche-going children
and are expecting.

The prosecutor Ms Patience Chimusaru said sometime in
February this year, Mathe and Pullen hatched a plan to open a Facebook account.

Pullen would use the
account to lure Msipani (56) into falling in love with her.

The couple later met Msipani and the wife introduced her
husband as her brother.

Msipani and Pullen
agreed to marry, but the former was told that their parents passed on some
years back and only Mathe could stand in the position of the in-laws.

The court heard that Msipani paid $3 000 in March through bank
transfers to Mathe.

Mathe then presided over the marriage process and promised
to escort the complainant’s new “wife” to his residence after two weeks.

After almost two weeks of waiting, Msipani received a call
from Mathe advising him that his wife was in urgent need of medical assistance.

Msipani gave Mathe his bank debit card and PIN number with
instructions to use only $100, but, instead the couple went on to withdraw
$589.

They later met Msipani and indicated to him that they had
used all the money to pay medical bills and requested groceries from him.

The three went to a supermarket where Mathe told Msipani
that he could get cash back. The court heard Pullen then took Msipani’s other
bank card and went into the shop, leaving Mathe and Msipani outside the shop.

The couple then disappeared again with the bank card which
had $440. The two went on to squander all the money.

Msipani later came across Mathe in the central business
district and caused his arrest. Herald